US expert Tom Collins is confident Irad Ortiz will be back with a bang

The Mighty Judge
7.15 Gulfstream Park
1pt win

Scars Are Cool
9.21 Gulfstream Park
1pt win

Dr Post
9.53 Gulfstream Park
2pts win

Spinoff
10.57 Gulfstream Park
1pt win

As much as I love watching racing at Gulfstream Park, it just hasn't been the same without Irad Ortiz.

The 27-year-old riding star, who won the 2018-19 Eclipse Award, hasn't taken any mounts since riding a double at the track on March 19, but announced his return to the saddle earlier this week and has unsurprisingly picked up an incredible book of rides.

It is easy to take the opinion that Ortiz will suffer from rustiness as he returns to race-riding, but he really is a cut above most of the riders in the US and I fully expect him to come back with a bang.

His first ride comes aboard the Jane Cibelli-trained The Mighty Judge in the $19,000 claimer (7.15), and hopefully he will return to the winner's enclosure immediately.

This son of Curlin cost $240,000 as a two-year-old and has been a sharp worker throughout his career but hasn't seemed to transfer the same level of ability to his races, recording just two wins from 21 starts.

The truth is that The Mighty Judge just needs everything to fall his way. He is a fast-closing sort who regularly finds himself too far behind at a crucial stage of the race when the pace quickens, and then passes beaten horses close home without getting to the leaders.

That has been the case in two of his last three outings. The Mighty Judge has been well out of his ground both times and gained plenty of ground late when ridden wide on the track in the straight. You can put a line through his penultimate effort, when the dirt clearly didn't suit him.

Ortiz replaces Paco Lopez, which is a plus, while there also appears to be a lot of early pace in the race. I imagine he will be ridden slightly more aggressively and this drop in grade should help.

Luis Saez has been Ortiz's big rival in the last year and he can get a winner on the board when he rides Scars Are Cool for trainer Stanley Hough in the $47,000 allowance optional claimer (9.21).

This four-year-old colt should be sent off favourite given his inside post and the strength of his form, but the morning line suggests Ortiz's mount, Legit, will go off shorter.

That runner remains unexposed but will have to improve on his second run back from a layoff to deny Scars Are Cool, who deserves a change of luck after two placed efforts this year.

He chased home a subsequent Grade 3 winner in the first of those, which was a highly creditable effort in hindsight, before finishing third after being forced five-wide on his latest outing.

Hough has given him a couple of months off since that run and he has been performing well in the mornings. He is a solid horse to play.

After that it should be business as usual for Ortiz, who rides Dr Post in the feature $75,000 Unbridled Stakes (9.53) for trainer Todd Pletcher.

A highly regarded colt who was purchased for $400,000 as a two-year-old, Dr Post had no luck at all on his debut last July when he bumped into Green Light Go, who won a Grade 2 contest at Saratoga on his next outing.

The third home has also won a black type race since, and the fact Dr Post wasn't beaten too far in fourth after stumbling at the start showed he has plenty of ability.

He had nine months off the track after that run but made a good return when successful from a wide draw. Dr Post was pushed four wide for most of the race but he drew clear in the stretch from a similarly well-bred stablemate.

Pletcher pitches him into stakes company here, so he will need more, but he is drawn much better and can continue on the upward curve.

That jockey/trainer combination also team up with Spinoff in race 11 on the card, a $48,000 allowance optional claimer (10.57).

He appears to be Pletcher's second string given he hasn't run for 260 days and Saez rides Soldado, who seeks a three-timer, but I'm happy to take a punt on Spinoff returning in good condition and maintaining his impressive record when fresh.

This four-year-old won first time up in 2018 and 2019 and was arguably better than ever when drawing clear to win a good allowance optional claimer at Saratoga when last seen in August.

Pletcher obviously rates him highly as he was tried in three Grade 1 contests last year, including the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes, but this is much more his level.

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